28 players in all, six defensive linemen and a 6'6 quarterback. Not a bad haul for Oklahoma on signing day 2010. All 28 players are high schoolers and they all made Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops a happy guy.

Thanks to NewsOK.com, the video of coach Stoops talking about the day is below.

Now that the Senior Bowl is in the books, how did it affect the draft status of those players? Tim Tebow was hurt by the game, Zac Robinson may have been helped. Take a look at one mock draft that has five players from our state going in the first round including four in the top 13!

Having good football coaches means somtimes losing good football coaches. Bob Stoops knows all about that as several of his assistants have gone on to be head coaches. The next guy in that group may be offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson. WIlson was said to be a finalist for the Lousiana Tech job (that one went to Arizona assistant Sonny Dykes) but others have come calling. East Carolina is said to have interviewed Wilson but he isn't the only guy on the list. Jacksonville assistant and former Alabama head coach Mike Shula, Texas Tech interim head coach Ruffin McNeill, and Pirates offensive coordinator Steve Shankweiler are also in gthe mix.

All these folks are looking to replace Skip Holtz who left Greenville last week to bew the new head coach at South Florida. .

Wilson is from North Carolina (Maiden, N.C.,) he also played his college football atUNC.

WIlson has been at OU since 2002 and has been the offensive coordinator since 2006.

All-American defensive backs Eric Berry of Tennessee and Joe Haden of Florida are among a record-tying 53 non-seniors eligible for this year's NFL draft. The list was released by the league Tuesday. It includes Heisman winner Sam Bradford, along with Oklahoma teammates Dominique Franks, Jermaine Gresham and Gerald McCoy. Also on the list is wide receiver Dez Bryant of Oklahoma State. The 53 players match the previous high in 2008 but is a lower number than many projections. With the NFL and the players union in negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement and the potential for a rookie wage scale being implemented, more juniors were expected to declare for this year's draft.

 

Sam Bradford QB, Oklahoma
Dez Bryant WR, Oklahoma St.

Jimmy Clausen QB, Notre Dame
Golden Tate WR, Notre Dame
Desmond Briscoe WR, Kansas
Arrelious Benn WR, Illinois
Gerald McCoy DT, Oklahoma
Donovan Warren CB, Michigan
Bruce Campbell OT, Maryland
Anthony Davis OT, Rutgers
Everson Griffen DE, USC
Abe Koroma DE, Western Illinois
Ryan Matthews RB, Fresno St.
Mike Williams WR, Syracuse
Jahvid Best RB, California
Joe Haden CB, Florida
Eric Berry S, Tennessee
Jevan Snead QB, Ole Miss
Brian Price DT, UCLA
Brian Bulaga OT, Iowa
Navorro Bowman LB, Penn St.
Jason Pierre-Paul DE, South Florida
Jason Worlids DE, Va. Tech
Aaron Hernandez TE, Florida
Domonique Franks CB, Oklahoma
Everson Griffen DE, USC
Thaddeus Gibson DE, Ohio St.
Reshad Jones DB, Georgia
Antonio Brown WR, Central Michigan
Toney Baker RB, N.C. St.
Jerome Hayes DE, Penn St.
Rennie Curran LB, Georgia
Derrick Morgan DE, Georgia Tech
Carlos Dunlap DE, Florida
Jonathan Dwyer RB, Georgia Tech
Rolando McClain LB, Alabama
Damian Williams WR, USC
Joe McKnight RB, USC
Maurkice Pouncey C, Florida
Major Wright S, Florida
Chad Jones S, LSU
Morgan Burnett S, Georgia Tech
Demaryius Thomas WR, Georgia Tech
Amari Spievey CB,  Iowa

Jermaine Gresham TE, Oklahoma

 

Former Chicago Bears defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek has been arrested on charges of public intoxication, assault and battery and interference with official process.

Norman police records indicate the 26-year-old Dvoracek was arrested around 1 a.m. Saturday at Seven47, a restaurant near the University of Oklahoma.

Dvoracek appeared in 13 games in four seasons with the Bears after being drafted in the fourth round in 2006. He was placed on the waived/injured list in August because of a torn ACL in his right knee.

While at Oklahoma, he was temporarily dismissed from the Sooners after an altercation at a bar in Norman. He was reinstated after anger-management and alcohol-related counseling.

Norman police Capt. Darry Stacy says an arrest report won't be available until Tuesday.

Oklahoma Running Back DeMarco Murray had decided to return to school for his senior season. Murray rushed for 705 yards on 171 carries with 8 touchdowns in 2009. He has 2,471 yards and 35 touchdowns in his career.

"I felt I wasn't done here," Murray told ESPN. "I still had some things I wanted to get accomplished with my teammates and become a better player as well."

Although this is probably the right move for Murray, it comes as a surprise to some because of the injuries that projected first round picks Sam Bradford and Jermaine Gresham suffered this season, but Murray had another good reason to stay.

"I won't have to share carries anymore so I will get to play a lot more than I have here and be the guy," Murray said. "My mom wanted me to walk [graduate] as well."

 

Former Tulsa Union and Oklahoma cornerback Dominique Franks has notified Sooner coaches that he plans to forgo his senior season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.  OU Head Coach Bob Stoops made that announcement today.

"We wish Dom all the best and I hope at some point that he'll also be back to complete his degree," Stoops said.

Story provided by University of Oklahoma atheltic media relations. See more at soonersports.com.

Franks told ESPN he feels confident he can shut down one side of a field and has been told he would be a second round pick.

Franks played in 39 games during his career with 27 starting assignments.  He wraps up his career with 60 tackles and six interceptions.  The Tulsa native scored three touchdowns during his career, two on interception returns and another on a fumble return.  He also returned 29 punts for 346 yards.

Last season, Franks started all 13 games.  He compiled 42 tackles and two interceptions.  He was named All-Big 12 by the conference's coaches.

Ryan Broyles set a Sun Bowl record with three touchdown receptions and Landry Jones passed for 416 yards to lead Oklahoma past Heisman runner-up Toby Gerhart and Stanford (No. 21 BCS, No. 19 AP) 31-27 on Thursday.

Broyles finished with 156 yards receiving and set Oklahoma's single-game record with 13 receptions in front of a Sun Bowl record crowd of 53,713. Jones completed 30 of 51 and connected with Broyles on TD strikes of 30, 13 and 6 yards.

Gerhart, who led the nation with 1,736 yards rushing, ran for 133 and scored two TDs in the first half.

Oklahoma (8-5) rallied with 14 straight points in the third quarter, then held on after Patrick O'Hara missed a 32-yard field goal try with 3:19 remaining. Stanford (8-5) got a final opportunity but turned it over on downs, starting a celebration for fans wearing crimson and cream.

Broyles also had 47 yards returning four punts. But he fumbled a punt that helped Stanford draw closer early in the fourth quarter.

The Cardinal pulled to 31-27 on a 22-yard field goal by Nate Whitaker, capping a series that began when Broyles mishandled a punt. Oklahoma protested because Stanford's Johnson Bademosi hit Broyles just as the ball arrived, but officials gave possession to the Cardinal.

Gerhart found the running tough against the nation's No. 7 rushing defense. He carried 32 times, averaged 4.2 per attempt, and his longest run was a 26-yard gain in the fourth quarter.

Stanford's Tavita Pritchard, who threw three passes in four games this season, made his 20th career start because standout freshman Andrew Luck wasn't ready after surgery to repair a broken right index finger. Pritchard was 8 of 19 for 118 yards.

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh had indicated a day earlier that Luck, who threw for 2,575 yards passing, might play, but Luck stood on the sidelines wearing street clothes and a headset.

Jones took over as Oklahoma's quarterback after former Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was injured in an opening loss to BYU. An injury-plagued season included the loss of defensive tackle Adrian Taylor, who left the Sun Bowl with his left wrapped in an air cast.

Stanford was making its first bowl appearance since losing to Georgia Tech in the 2001 Seattle Bowl.

Stat Leaders

Passing C-Att Yds TD Int  OU - L. Jones 30-51 418 3 1  Stan. - Pritchard 8-19 117 0 2  Rushing Car Yds TD Long  OU - Brown 12 46 0 12  Stan. - Gerhart 32 135 2 26  Receiving Rec Yds TD Long  OU - Broyles 13 156 3 30  Stan. - Whalen 3 65 0 42

For the first time in the 76-year history of the game, the Brut Sun Bowl has sold out prior to game day. It is the 34th sellout in Sun Bowl history, but just the third since Sun Bowl Stadium expanded in 1983.

"I think it says a lot for the matchup, as well as the Stanford and Oklahoma fans who are making the trip to El Paso," said Bernie Olivas, executive director of the Sun Bowl Association. "A lot of factors have led to this sellout. We would not be in this position without the two schools and our local fan base. El Paso is ready for a good game."

The Sun Bowl recorded 22 sellouts at Kidd Field from 1938 to 1962. In 1963, the game was moved to Sun Bowl Stadium. The game sold out nine times from 1963 to 1982.

In the first year of the Sun Bowl Association's new sponsorship agreement with Helen of Troy, a record 51,288 fans watched the 2004 Vitalis Sun Bowl between Arizona State and Purdue. One year later, a capacity crowd of 50,426 fans witnessed the 2005 Vitalis Sun Bowl which saw the highest scoring game ever as UCLA outran Northwestern, 50-38.

Helen of Troy changed the brand of the game from Vitalis to Brut beginning with the 2006 edition of the game. Including this year's sellout, during Helen of Troy's six-year tenure as title sponsor, the Sun Bowl has been at 99 percent capacity and recorded three sellouts. It is the best six-year period in Sun Bowl history in terms of attendance.

The game will be broadcast live nationally in high definition on CBS for the 42nd consecutive year.

Bob Stoops has to feel more like a doctor than a coach. The Sooners have had such bad luck with injuries, especially on the offensive line and now they might be forced to start a fourth player at center.

"He just got rolled up. We were in our inside drill, and somebody -- we have knee braces on and all -- just rolled into him," Stoops said. "It's a sprain. Unsure of the degree. We'll just have to see.

Williams, a consensus All-American at tackle, has never played a game at center but he has practiced there at times.  

The move could prove to be an opportunity for Williams, who is hoping to be a first-round pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.

During the preseason, projected starting center Ben Habern had by back inflammation so the Sooners moved tight end Brody Eldridge to starting center. Habern returned the following week, and palyed 10 games before he was hurt at Texas Tech. 

Eldridge is also out with a season-ending neck injury. 

As for how many injuries there have been for Ou in the offensive line, Bob Stoops said "I don't count them, I'm done counting. "Too many."

In Oklahoma we all love college football. Now that we get to the end of the decade, it's time to look back. Sports Illustrated has picked the top upsets of the decade and Oklahoma makes the list twice. Take a look here and leave your personal comments below.

Just a couple of weeks ago, Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray was firm on a decision to return for his senior season at Oklahoma. Yet on Wednesday, he said something a little different. Murray said "I have to take the opportunity to at least think about it, and not put a stamp on it and say I'm coming back next year,"

Murray added "I haven't made any decisions yet. I'm still thinking about it. It's been in my mind every day. I just have to make the best decision for myself and if I do come back it has to be for the right reasons and to help this team win a national championship."

Murray has been very productive in Norman, scoring 44 career touchdowns but he has had some trouble in his career with injuries.

Underclassmen are allowed to submit paperwork to the NFL to receive a draft grade. That grade can help players get a much better idea of where they might be picked. The grades are  not binding.

 

 

 

Oklahoma defensive tackle Gerald McCoy became OU's 66th consensus All-American when the Sporting News provided his third All-America team honor Tuesday.
 
The NCAA recognizes the lists of All-Americans selected by the Associated Press, American Football Coaches Association (AFCA), Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News, and the Walter Camp Football Foundation to determine consensus All-Americans. At least three of these organizations have to select a player in order for him to receive the "consensus" honor.

Notes provided by Oklahoma athletic media relations. Get more at soonersports.com.

McCoy was earlier named to the Football Writers and Walter Camp All-American teams.

McCoy is the 37th Sooner player to earn All-America honors in more than one season. He was named to All-America teams by The Sporting News and Sports Illustrated after the 2008 season.

McCoy was the target of frequent double-team blocking schemes during the 2009 season but still tallied 31 tackles, including 14.5 for losses. He also registered five sacks and a team-high 10 quarterback hurries.

McCoy broke up two passes, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble. During the season he broke the school record for most consecutive starts by a defensive lineman. That total now stands at 38.

McCoy and his teammates will play their season finale on Dec. 31 against Stanford in the 76th Brut Sun Bowl.

 The University of Oklahoma announced today a Tickets for Troops program that will allow fans to purchase tickets for the Sooners' Brut Sun Bowl matchup with Stanford and then donate them to men and women serving in the United State Armed Forces.
 
The Brut Sun Bowl will be played on Thursday, Dec. 31, at Sun Bowl Stadium in El Paso, Texas. Kickoff is set for Noon (MST).
 
Tickets for Troops can be added to an existing order or denoted at the time an order is placed. Fans who are not attending the game, but would still like to participate in the program are encouraged to do so.
 
Members of the OU staff will distribute the tickets to military personnel. Most are likely to go to those serving at Fort Bliss, an Army installation near El Paso with an approximate base population of 8,200.
 
Tickets are $40 each. Orders will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis and are subject to availability. To donate tickets or purchase personal tickets, fans can order online at SoonerSports.com or call 800-456-GoOU or 405-325-2424.
 

Buy Tickets Online | OU Sun Bowl Central | Daily Bowl Coverage | Fan Bowl Primer December 31, 2009 at 1 p.m. CT | Sun Bowl Stadium (50,429) in El Paso, Texas | National TV: CBS OU Bowl History | Brut Sun Bowl | Fan Guide | Seating Chart | Visiting El Paso | Travel Packages

Cornerback Dominique Franks plans to return for his senior season at Oklahoma.

     Franks said after practice Wednesday that he had submitted paperwork to the NFL to evaluate where he would be drafted, but he plans to play for the Sooners next season no matter what projection he gets back. Franks was selected to the All-Big 12 second-team this season after making 42 tackles and two interceptions, including one he returned for a touchdown. He was also the Sooners' No. 2 punt returner, behind receiver Ryan Broyles. Also Wednesday, linebacker Travis Lewis said he had submitted

paperwork to evaluate his NFL draft standing. Defensive end Jeremy Beal said he wouldn't make any decision about his future until after Oklahoma plays Stanford in the Sun Bowl on Dec. 31.

    

It's been a while since Stanford went to a bowl game and now they have to do it without their quarterback. Cardinal signal caller Andrew Luck had surgery on a finger on his right hand and  more than likely will miss the SunBowl. 

The surgery will take at least two to three weeks to recover from, a tight fit for a game on Decdmber 31st. 

Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh says if Luck isn't back, senior Tavita Pritchard will probably start the game. Pritchard started 19 games the past two seasons.

Luck has completed 162 of 288 passes for 2575 yards and 13 touchdowns as well as four interceptions.

So you want to follow your favorite team to a bowl game? OK, so take a look below and we'll make sure you get where you need to be.

Let's start in the west Texas town of El Paso where Oklahoma will face Stanford. For tickets just click here.
Maybe you would like a complete travel package? OK, check here for that.

Being a food guy, I have to give you at least one restaurant suggestion. Take the family to the Cattleman's Steakhouse. It's a bit outside the city but very much worth the drive. Ask to sit in the "Coyote room", the kids will love it.
If you need other tips you can find them right here at the El Paso visitors site.
If you want to know more about the Cardinal, check in on Stanford football right here.

Now let's head east from El Paso to Dallas. The new "Jerry World" will host the Cotton Bowl as Oklahoma State takes on Ole' Miss. If your interested in tickets, you better hurry. Click here to find out more about how many are out there and the cost. Seeing OSU in a bowl game is cool but seeing the Pokes in the newest and most expensive stadium EVER built is even better. Dallas Cowboys Stadium is the new home for the Cotton Bowl, take a gander around the place while you are there. Of course there are tons of things to do in Big D, check those out at the Dallas Convention and Visitors website.

Lastly, how about the game? You can click here for Ole' Miss football.

Let's not forget about the folks in the Ozarks. The Arkansas Razorbacks will go just east on I-40 to take on the East Carolina Pirates in the Liberty Bowl on January 2nd in Memphis. Find out about tickets here and remember, Memphis is the town that Elvis built! You might just need to visit Graceland while you are in the blues city. Memphis is known for more than the King, how about bar-b-q and blues? Find them both at the Memphis convention and visitors bureau.

We're all set now, the complete bowl schedule is ready. Take a look below and decided which games you want to make a "must see" in your house! By the way, I love 'em all!

 

2009-10 College Football Bowl Schedule
Bowl Game	Date/Time	Site	Matchup	Network
New Mexico	Dec. 19 2:30 p.m.	Albuquerque, NM	Wyoming vs. Fresno State	ESPN
St. Petersburg	Dec. 19 8 p.m.	St. Petersburg, FL	Rutgers vs. UCF	ESPN
R&L Carriers New Orleans	Dec. 20 8 p.m.	New Orleans, LA	MTSU vs. Southern Miss	ESPN
MAACO Las Vegas	Dec. 22 8 p.m.	Las Vegas, NV	Oregon State vs. BYU	ESPN
San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia	Dec. 23 8 p.m.	San Diego, CA	Utah vs. California	ESPN
Sheraton Hawaii	Dec. 24 8 p.m.	Honolulu, HI	Nevada vs. SMU	ESPN
Emerald	Dec. 26 8:30 p.m.	San Francisco, CA	Boston College vs. USC	ESPN
Meineke Car Care	Dec. 26 4 p.m.	Charlotte, NC	North Carolina vs. Pittsburgh	ESPN
Little Caesars	Dec. 26 5 p.m.	Detroit, MI	Ohio vs. Marshall	ESPN
Gaylord Hotels Music City	Dec. 27 8 p.m.	Nashville, TN	Kentucky vs. Clemson	ESPN
Independence	Dec. 28 5 p.m.	Shreveport, LA	Texas A&M vs. Georgia	ESPN
Champs Sports	Dec. 29 8 p.m.	Orlando, FL	Miami (FL) vs. Wisconsin	ESPN
EagleBank	Dec. 29 4:30 p.m.	Washington, DC	Army or UCLA** vs. Temple	ESPN
Pacific Life Holiday	Dec. 30 8 p.m.	San Diego, CA	Nebraska vs. Arizona	ESPN
Roady's Humanitarian	Dec. 30 4:30 p.m.	Boise, ID	Idaho vs. Bowling Green	ESPN
Texas	Dec. 31 3:30 p.m.	Houston, TX	Missouri vs. Navy	ESPN
Bell Helicopter Armed Forces	Dec. 31 TBD	Fort Worth, TX	Air Force vs. Houston	ESPN
Brut Sun	Dec. 31 Noon	El Paso, TX	Stanford vs. Oklahoma	CBS
Insight	Dec. 31 5:30 p.m.	Tempe, AZ	Minnesota vs. Iowa State	NFL
Chick-fil-A	Dec. 31 7:30 p.m.	Atlanta, GA	Virginia Tech vs. Tennessee	ESPN
Outback	Jan. 1 11 a.m.	Tampa, FL	Northwestern vs. Auburn	ESPN
Capital One	Jan. 1 1 p.m.	Orlando, FL	Penn State vs. LSU	ABC
Konica Minolta Gator	Jan. 1 1 p.m.	Jacksonville, FL	West Virginia vs. Florida State	CBS
Rose presented by Citi	Jan. 1 5 p.m.	Pasadena, CA	Oregon vs. Ohio State	ABC
Allstate Sugar	Jan. 1 8:30 p.m.	New Orleans, LA	Florida vs. Cincinnati	FOX
AT&T Cotton	Jan. 2 2 p.m.	Arlington, TX	Oklahoma State vs. Mississippi	FOX
AutoZone Liberty	Jan. 2 5:30 p.m.	Memphis, TN	East Carolina vs. Arkansas	ESPN
International	Jan. 2 Noon	Toronto, Canada	South Florida vs. Northern Illinois	ESPN2
Papajohns.com	Jan. 2 2 p.m.	Birmingham, AL	Connecticut vs. South Carolina	ESPN
Valero Alamo	Jan. 2 9 p.m.	San Antonio, TX	Texas Tech vs. Michigan State	ESPN
Tostitos Fiesta	Jan. 4 TBD	Glendale, AZ	TCU vs. Boise State	FOX
FedEx Orange	Jan. 5 8 p.m.	Miami, FL	Georgia Tech vs. Iowa	FOX
GMAC	Jan. 6 7 p.m.	Mobile, AL	Central Michigan vs. Troy	ESPN
Citi National Championship	Jan. 7 8 p.m.	Pasadena, CA	Texas vs. Alabama	ABC

Defensive tackle Adrian Taylor says he'll return to Oklahoma next season instead of entering the NFL draft. Taylor told The Associated Press on Sunday that he and his father discussed his future after the end of the regular season and decided he should come back for a fifth year at Oklahoma. Taylor is tied for fourth on the team with 31/2 sacks and seven tackles for a loss this season. He earned honorable mention on the all-Big 12 team last week. Taylor has started the last 27 games for Oklahoma, a streak that dates to the 2007 season.

The University of Oklahoma and Stanford University have both accepted invitations to play in the 76th annual Brut Sun Bowl , announced Sun Bowl Association football committee chairman John H. Folmer. The game will pit the Sooners and the No. 19 Cardinal on Thursday, Dec. 31 at noon (MT) at Sun Bowl Stadium.

All notes provided by University of Oklahoma athletic media relations. Get more at Soonersports.com.

 

"We are excited to invite Stanford University, which has one of the hottest head coaches in the nation in Jim Harbaugh and one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy in Toby Gerhart," said Folmer. "On the other side, how can you ever go wrong with Oklahoma? Everybody in college football would die for an opportunity to have a dynamic head coach like Bob Stoops and Oklahoma play in their bowl game.

Oklahoma Football Bowl Tickets Phone lines at the OU Athletics Ticket Office will be open on Sunday, Dec. 6 from 6 p.m.-8 p.m. to take orders and answer questions regarding OU's Sun Bowl berth. To order by phone, call (800) 456-GoOU or (405) 325-2424.

Stanford (8-4, 6-3 Pac-10) finished tied for second in the Pac-10 Conference and is the only school to beat league champion Oregon. This is Stanford's third appearance in El Paso, after winning the 1977 and 1996 Sun Bowls.
 
"Our players, coaches and staff are truly honored to accept the Sun Bowl Committee's invitation," said Harbaugh. "Stanford football is privileged to join the proud tradition of the Sun Bowl and the wonderful people of El Paso. We move forward with humble hearts, unwavering focus and relentless preparation."

Oklahoma (7-5, 5-3 Big 12) finished tied for third in the Big 12 Conference South Division after upending intrastate rival Oklahoma State, 27-0, in the annual Bedlam Game. This is Oklahoma's third appearance in the Sun Bowl, after winning the 1981 and 1993 Sun Bowls.

"We appreciate the invitation from the Brut Sun Bowl and are anxious to make the trip to El Paso. We look forward to a number of our fans being there as well," said Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops. "In Stanford we are facing a fine program. Like many others, we have been impressed by the job Coach Harbaugh and his team have done this season and we understand the quality of the opponent we'll be facing."

The 2009 Brut Sun Bowl will mark the fifth time these two teams have meet, but the first time in 25 years. Oklahoma holds a 3-1 lead in the all-time series that spanned from 1978 to 1984.

"We are excited about the matchup and what it means to El Paso," said Bernie Olivas, executive director of the Sun Bowl Association. "Stanford has really caught the nation's attention and Oklahoma is one the nation's premier programs. This should make for an exciting matchup."

Stanford is led by senior running back Toby Gerhart, who leads the nation in total rushing yards with 1,736 yards and scoring with 26 rushing touchdowns. Gerhart is the ninth national rushing yardage leader to participate in the Brut Sun Bowl. Others include LaDainian Tomlinson (TCU), Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State), Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh), Bob Gaiters (New Mexico State), Pervis Atkins (New Mexico State), Jim Crawford (Wyoming), Fred Wendt (UTEP) and Rudy "Little Doc" Mobley (Hardin-Simmons).

Stanford's offense is averaging 441.4 yards per game, which ranks 13th nationally. The Cardinal offense is paced by freshman quarterback Andrew Luck, a native of Houston, who is averaging 244.1 yards per game of total offense. Luck's primary targets are Ryan Whalen and Chris Owusu.

"Stanford University is very proud to be representing the Pacific-10 Conference in the Brut Sun Bowl," said Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby. "This bowl has a rich tradition and I have personally enjoyed several visits to El Paso and the Sun Bowl. We are very excited to be participating in the game with Oklahoma. Coach Stoops and his staff do an exceptional job with their football program and we look forward to the competition. I want to offer my congratulations to Coach Harbaugh, his staff and our football team, especially our seniors, on completing an excellent season. They have all worked hard and are truly deserving of playing in this prestigious bowl game."

Oklahoma is led by freshman quarterback Landry Jones, a native of Artesia, N.M., who is averaging 244.5 yards per game of total offense. The Sooners rank 28th nationally in total offense, averaging 419.4 yards per game. Oklahoma is paced on the ground by the running back tandem of DeMarco Murray (61.6 yards per game) and Chris Brown (58.6 yards per game). Ryan Broyles paces the Sooner receiving corps with 87.6 yards per game, while racking up 142.3 all-purpose yards an outing.

The Sooner defense ranks seventh nationally in total defense (273.5 yards), scoring defense (13.5 points) and rushing defense (88.58). Linebacker Travis Lewis has anchored the defense this year with 100 tackles, while Jeremy Beal has 11 sacks and 18 tackles for a loss this season.

"The Sun Bowl is a game rich in tradition and we appreciate the opportunity to play there. It is known for its first-class treatment of fans and teams. The renovated Sun Bowl Stadium is a scenic place to watch. The setting is picturesque and something our fans will enjoy," said Oklahoma athletic director Joe Castiglione. "Stanford had an outstanding season and we appreciate the quality of their program."

Stanford will be making its 22nd bowl appearance and its first since 2001. The Cardinal are 9-10-1 (.452) in bowl games. This is Oklahoma's 43rd overall bowl appearance and 11th straight under Stoops. The Sooners are 24-17-1 (.600) in bowl games.

The 76th Annual Brut Sun Bowl is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 31 at noon (MST). CBS Sports will broadcast the game for the 42nd consecutive year, which is the longest running partnership between a network and a bowl game. Ticket prices for the game are $15, $20, $30, $40, $50 and $60.

Four Oklahoma State Cowboys and four Oklahoma Sooners were named to the All Big 12 team Tuesday afternoon. In addition, OSU offensive lineman Russell Okung was named the Conference lineman of the year. See all of the first and second team selections below. 

 2009 All-Big 12 Football First Team             

Now that Notre Dame has officially fired Charlie Weis, the Bob Stoops rumors are rampant again. Stoops held a national telephone news conference yesterday where he talked about the Sooners season as well as the Notre Dame job.

 

 

Oklahoma State may have had a BCS bowl bid on the line as well as bragging rights in the annual in-state rivalry.
 
It looked more like Oklahoma who had something to play for. The Sooners DeMarco Murray ran for two touchdowns, Ryan Broyles returned a punt 88 yards for a score and Oklahoma knocked Oklahoma State out of contention for its first BCS appearance with a 27-0 win Saturday.
 
"The only good thing about this is it counts as one loss, and I told the team that," Cowboys coach Mike Gundy said. "To move forward, you have to let go. This team has accomplished a lot. We have an opportunity to go play in a very good bowl game. Where that'll be, I'm not sure."
 
With representatives of the Fiesta and Orange bowls watching, the Cowboys (9-3, 6-2 Big 12) fell completely flat with their worst offensive performance of the decade. Oklahoma State was shut out for the first time since 2005 by an Oklahoma defense coming off its worst outing of the year in a 41-13 loss at Texas Tech last week.
 
"That's the way you finish a season," defensive captain Gerald McCoy said. "We've still got a bowl game to play, but that's the way you come back and finish out."
 
Zac Robinson threw for only 44 yards on 9-for-21 passing after missing last week's game with injuries to his head and shoulder. He was pulled in the fourth quarter with his lowest passing total since taking over as the starting quarterback early in the 2007 season.
 
"Zac wasn't 100 percent, but that's certainly not an excuse for what happened," Gundy said.
 
Brandon Weeden, who led a second-half comeback in last week's win against Colorado, finally replaced Robinson after Broyles' punt return put Oklahoma up 27-0 midway through the fourth quarter. The crowd started chanting "Overrated!" after he let Quinn Sharp's punt sail over his head, then fielded the bouncing ball, turned around and raced for the score.
 
Oklahoma State didn't have a single first down in the second half and finished with only 109 yards of total offense.
 
"I guess I'd have to say that most of the game is the physical aspect, and they were the most dominating force on the field," Cowboys left tackle Russell Okung said. "And you see the results of that right now."
 
Broyles, who originally committed to Oklahoma State but instead chose to play for the Sooners, had 103 yards receiving to go with his 209 yards on punt returns. Patrick O'Hara, the walk-on who had never played football before taking over as Oklahoma's kicker two weeks ago, hit field goals from 24 and 19 yards.
 
The Sooners (7-5, 5-3) have won seven in a row in the Bedlam rivalry and 30 straight home games, the longest streak in the Bowl Subdivision.
 
"It was a definite way to come out on a high note in this Bedlam game. Everyone was talking about how we were breaking their season or whatnot, but really we were making our season more than anything," Broyles said.
 
Broyles' 47-yard reception set up Murray's first scoring run, a 13-yarder that he punctuated by leaping from the 4-yard line out of bounds past where the goal line would have extended. He also had a 12-yard TD run following Robinson's interception, which safety Jonathan Nelson returned 37 yards.
 
The shutout was preserved when tight end Trent Ratterree tracked down Justin Gent from behind on a fumble return in the final minute, stripped the ball and recovered it. That allowed Oklahoma to run out the clock on its first shutout against a ranked team since a 12-0 win against Texas in 2004.
 
The Sooners have three shutouts in a season for the first time since 1986, when they had five.
 
"When he did that, I was like, `Yes! Thank you, man.' We worked so hard to keep them with that goose egg, and he made a big play for us," McCoy said.
 
Oklahoma's Landry Jones finished 20 for 37 for 224 yards. He lost a fumble in the first quarter after a 59-yard punt return by Broyles set up first-and-goal at the 7-yard line.
 
A season riddled with injuries continued for the Sooners, who played without left tackle Trent Williams. The NFL prospect was the only player on Oklahoma's offense who had started the first 11 games, and his absence left the team with only one of its starters on the line. Tight end Eric Mensik made his first career start on the offensive line to replace Williams.
 
Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford, also out for the season following shoulder surgery, appeared in a videotaped message before the game to thank fans and encourage them to support the Sooners. And receiver Corey Wilson, who injured his back in an offseason car accident, climbed out of his wheelchair and took a few steps with the aid of a walker at the end of Oklahoma's senior day ceremony.
 
Neither team -- or the referees, for that matter -- gave the fans much to cheer for early on as the game was marred by fumbles and constant replay reviews, including one that required a second look for officials to get the down and distance correct. But while the Sooners made up for their early mistakes, OSU never got anything going.
 
"We certainly would have liked to have had the opportunity to be in that BCS picture, but we can't do anything about that now," Gundy said. "As I said earlier, at the end of the year, the bowl representatives in this league are going to pick teams that have competed for 12 games. You've got to play 12 games."

 Team Statistics (Final)
                             2009 Oklahoma Football
         #11 Oklahoma State vs Oklahoma (Nov 28, 2009 at Norman, Okla.)

                                    OSU       OU

FIRST DOWNS...................        6       20
  Rushing.....................        2       10
  Passing.....................        1        8
  Penalty.....................        3        2
NET YARDS RUSHING.............       62      143
  Rushing Attempts............       29       47
  Average Per Rush............      2.1      3.0
  Rushing Touchdowns..........        0        2
  Yards Gained Rushing........       89      192
  Yards Lost Rushing..........       27       49
NET YARDS PASSING.............       47      224
  Completions-Attempts-Int....  10-23-1  20-37-0
  Average Per Attempt.........      2.0      6.1
  Average Per Completion......      4.7     11.2
  Passing Touchdowns..........        0        0
TOTAL OFFENSE YARDS...........      109      367
  Total offense plays.........       52       84
  Average Gain Per Play.......      2.1      4.4
Fumbles: Number-Lost..........      4-1      3-2
Penalties: Number-Yards.......     6-44     9-84
PUNTS-YARDS...................   14-656    6-353
  Average Yards Per Punt......     46.9     58.8
  Net Yards Per Punt..........     30.5     51.2
  Inside 20...................        2        2
  50+ Yards...................        7        5
  Touchbacks..................        1        2
  Fair catch..................        2        0
KICKOFFS-YARDS................     1-70    6-407
  Average Yards Per Kickoff...     70.0     67.8
  Net Yards Per Kickoff.......     50.0     50.5
  Touchbacks..................        1        2
Punt returns: Number-Yards-TD.    2-6-0  8-209-1
  Average Per Return..........      3.0     26.1
Kickoff returns: Number-Yds-TD   4-64-0    0-0-0
  Average Per Return..........     16.0      0.0
Interceptions: Number-Yds-TD..    0-0-0   1-37-0
Fumble Returns: Number-Yds-TD.   1-55-0    0-0-0
Miscellaneous Yards...........        0        0
Possession Time...............    26:10    33:50
  1st Quarter.................    10:25     4:35
  2nd Quarter.................     8:13     6:47
  3rd Quarter.................     4:20    10:40
  4th Quarter.................     3:12    11:48
Third-Down Conversions........  0 of 14  4 of 17
Fourth-Down Conversions.......   0 of 0   1 of 2
Red-Zone Scores-Chances.......      0-0      4-7
Sacks By: Number-Yards........     2-19     2-15
PAT Kicks.....................      0-0      3-3
Field Goals...................      0-0      2-4

 

 

We all know that Mike Gundy played at, and now coaches at Oklahoma State. We also know his brother Cale played at, and now coaches at Oklahoma. So when Bedlam week and Thanksgiving arrive at the same time, how does the family handle that? You can get a peek inside the family dining room when Mike Gundy's weekly news conference is interrupted by a phone call from his brother!

 

Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy says injured quarterback Zac Robinson has resumed throwing and should play for the 11th-ranked Cowboys on Saturday at Oklahoma. Gundy said Monday at his weekly news conference that Robinson was throwing football over the weekend after missing Oklahoma State's game last Thursday with injuries to his head and shoulder.

Gundy says Robinson should be at ``full speed'' in practice this week and play against the Sooners (6-5, 4-3) in the annual Bedlam rivalry game. Gundy said Robinson's main obstacle will be ``working through soreness.'' A win by the Cowboys (9-2, 6-1) could earn them an at-large bid to their first BCS bowl in school history.

Oklahoma football coach Bob Stoops saysit's doubtful starting middle linebacker Ryan Reynolds will play in the Sooners' rivalry game this week against No. 11 Oklahoma State. Reynolds strained his hamstring in the Sooners' 41-13 loss at Texas Tech on Saturday and was replaced by Austin Box. The Sooners will also be without center Ben Habern, who had surgery Saturday night after breaking his left leg. Stoops said Monday on the Big 12 coaches' conference call that Habern's recovery is expected to take three months. He's the third offensive lineman to suffer a season-ending injury this season for Oklahoma. Stoops says defensive tackle Adrian Taylor is expected to play against the Cowboys with an undisclosed injury.  

Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy and selected players met with members of the media at Boone Pickens Stadium Monday to preview this week's Bedlam Series game at Oklahoma. Some of the highlights:

 

Mike Gundy

Opening statement
"First off, I'd like to congratulate Coach Smith. The men's cross country team won the national championship today. I think that's a great accomplishment and I know he's done a tremendous job here and I want to congratulate him. Secondly, from what I understand, John Rohde is doing better, health wise. I'm glad that John's doing better. John had a tough night on Thursday night. I went and saw him in the hospital Friday night and I told him I didn't know he loved OSU so much; he took that game so seriously. I'm glad John's doing better."

 

On facing Oklahoma

"Obviously it's Bedlam week. It's a very exciting time in the state. I know that our players are looking forward to preparing this week looking forward to a game on Saturday.  We gave them the weekend off and they reported back in today and we're on normal schedule. We're looking forward to preparation and playing a good football team."

 

On what he sees from Oklahoma

"Defensively they're very fast and tackle well and put pressure on you. Gerald McCoy is a big time player and Jeremy Beal is a very good player, Quinton Carter is a good tackler. Those corners on the edge out there, they make a lot of plays. When you watch them on tape, offensively you have to have a really good plan."

 

On what he expects to see from Oklahoma

"They're going to blitz a lot; a lot of zone pressure is what they've done. That's what I expect them to do, a lot of blitzing. That's what they like to do from what it looks like on tape. They still run the ball very well and make plays on defense. Offensively, obviously they've had a quarterback change, which has changed them somewhat.  But they have two good running backs - guys that can make you miss and make plays. Broyles makes plays on the perimeter. It should be very interesting, special teams will be very important. We've got to be sound in special times and take care of plays there. We've got to take care of the football and eliminate big plays on defense, tackle in space; essentially it's what the game comes down to. Our players and coaches are very excited and looking forward to the preparation this week."

 

On Zac Robinson
"Zac should be practicing. I was told today that he'll be out there and ready to go."

 

On waiting until the second half to put Brandon Weeden in the Colorado game
"We felt like that Alex Cate was the next best guy. He's been here longer and understands the system and had practiced well. We felt like he deserved the opportunity because he was better in practice over the last couple of years than Brandon was. We have 120 guys on the team and not all of them get to play in every game. There are young players who continue to practice over the years and when the opportunity comes up, they deserve the chance to play in the game and at that particular time we felt that he was the second best guy. You're never sure how a young man is going to react when he gets into a game situation. There are some things that went south on him that weren't his fault early, but he didn't throw the ball very well. Some of those things didn't work out very well, so the accumulation of all that forced us to make a change at halftime and try to bring Brandon in for a spark."

On Weeden performing better when the lights are on

"At this level, I'd think that he would need to continue to prepare and work hard in practice and execute, so we'd have confidence in him on game day. I think the best ones at this level and beyond are guys who practice very well and study the game.  He's gotten much better over the past 12 months."

 

On Weeden being 26 years old and a former pro athlete
"I think most of your strength and conditioning trainers and people in the medical field will tell you the male body develops all the way up until about 28 years old, I think that's an advantage. Secondly, he's been out there in the real world, I think his demeanor and all the situations he's come across out there have helped him make the adjustment to this level. He played with some poise the other night, which was good. I'd say that being older contributed to that."

 

On where this senior class ranks in school history
"They rank very high with me personally because of the way that they've carried themselves on and off the field. They've been very resilient and built a good relationship amongst each other. In our opinion, it's important that a team cares about each other and I think they enjoy practicing. They enjoy playing in games and they've handled a number of situations throughout their career very well. They are on track to graduate. A number of them have already graduated and that's really what you're looking for in a coach. You want young men to come in here and you want to take them from where they are and make them better and then put them out in the real world and give them a chance to come back and be productive in society and they've won some games along the way, which is very good."

On the importance of having a balanced offense against Oklahoma
"Every game it's important for us to be balanced. Oklahoma knows that we're going to try to be balanced. In my opinion, they're going to blitz and try to stop the run. We have to find ways to run the football and then throw the football down the field and run our system. There's not really any secret to what's out there. It's our balance. It's our misdirection. It's play pass. It's the speed of the game. It's run the football. It's drop back passes. You try to tie all that in together and move forward and get into a rhythm and that's really what we like to do. Each week we put together a game plane that we think gives us an opportunity to do that and then ask the players to play hard and, as a coach, just hope it works on Saturday."

 

 

OL Noah Franklin
On the Bedlam Game
"It means a lot to me to  go out and have this be the last game of the regular season and I feel like we're prepared to have a good chance to compete with them and have a chance to beat them so it's exciting."

On the role reversal as Oklahoma tries to knock Oklahoma State out of a BCS bowl
"That's something that some of the guys were talking about the other day. Everything comes around full circle. From where we were when Andrew Lewis and I got here, it's come a long way since then."

On the Bedlam games
"They are always just a special game because you just feel like no matter if one team seems overmatched, that there's always a chance because of the fact that it's a huge rivalry and it means a lot to everybody and that at some point it comes down to who wants it more and talent or depth or whatever just kind of goes out the window."

On if he looks forward to facing Oklahoma's defensive tackles
"I do. They're great players for sure, but I think it's going to be a fun challenge. I think it's going to be a lot of work and going to take a lot of preparation this week. They are great players, but I'm looking forward to it."

OL Andrew Lewis
On Oklahoma State's road success and Oklahoma's home success
"We're pretty successful on the road, but at the same time, A&M and OU are, I consider, the two loudest place to play, so I think it's going to be a tough challenge and their defense, I think, is still one of the best in the nation, so it's going to be a tough challenge down there."

On playing on the road
"I enjoy playing on the road. Every time you score a touchdown, I enjoy when the crowd goes silent and stuff like that, so I think it's kind of a thrill playing on the road."

On the possibility of playing in a BCS bowl
"There hasn't been much talk about it. I think the coaches are more focused on this game at hand. They've pretty much said if we take care of business then that will all come into play."

On the importance of earning a fourth consecutive Big 12 rushing championship
"It's pretty important. That's what the o-line takes credit in, is rushing, so I think it would be very important to get four years in a row. That would be nice."

WR Justin Blackmon
On the Oklahoma State and Oklahoma players he grew up following
"As a receiver, I did know Rashaun Woods, and he was a great player as I was coming up. Then on OU's side you had Mark Clayton and others that came down at FCA talks and all that, so I knew some of them and I've met them before. "

On the possibility of playing in a BCS bowl
"We've got to win this one. To do everything that we need to do, we've got to win this one. It's going to be tough. It's a Bedlam game and anything could happen. Whether everything's going right for us or everything's going wrong for them, it's still the Bedlam game and anything could happen."

On Oklahoma's home success
"They've got a great home crowd behind them. It's just that atmosphere down there. Playing in that atmosphere probably helps them out a lot."

On Brandon Weeden's performance
"Weeden had a good performance. He came in and did a good job. He was relaxed and he felt comfortable out there. He wasn't nervous at all. He came in and took a leadership role and that's really what we needed for him to do."

FB Bryant Ward
On Oklahoma State's special teams
"Ours isn't exactly where we would want it, but we've been practicing hard and trying to get it back to being on top. Special teams is a big area in these games that are going to be real close and have a lot of ups and downs And special teams is what sparks the comeback or what seals the deal on the win. Special teams is big."

On staying focused with the possibility of playing in a BCS bowl
"You do need to stay focused. Playing this game is going to determine what bowl you go to. When all that is included you have to really be focused and keep your cool and play the game."

LB Andre Sexton
On the importance of having a big running game
"Coach Gundy's been talking about that a lot this season and saying that for our offense to do well, they have to establish a running game. It just opens up so many things that they're able to do, but when you take away the running back and you don't focus on the run then the defensive line can be more aggressive and just get up the field and work on getting pressure on the quarterback, linebackers don't worry about having to honor the play action fake and it just makes everybody's job a lot easier if you can focus on just the passing game."

On starting a school-record 50 games
"I couldn't believe that anyone hadn't started that many games. I just came into a great opportunity. That's why I came up here - a chance to play early and I got that chance and I guess I've been doing an alright job. I've got all these starts, but I guess it's just something good to accomplish at a major program like this."

On the role reversal as Oklahoma tries to knock Oklahoma State out of a BCS bowl
"It's totally different and it's kind of a good feeling to have that opportunity ahead of us, but we've been talking about wanting to gain that respect in Oklahoma for a long time. This opportunity is prime for us right here and it's right in front of our face so we have to go out there and grab it. We can't sit back there and let this pass by and say, 'Hey we're still going to go to a good bowl game even if we do lose this.' No, we have t come out attack this like this is our last game of the season and everything is on the line right here."

On if he thought he would see the role reversal when he arrived at Oklahoma State
"We definitely believed that we could put ourselves in this type of situation, just in some of the teams we've had we've just been unable at times to win those close games that we've been winning this year. We found ways to lose those games instead of win them. This year I think the maturity and experience that we've had in those situations has enabled us to pull those victories out."

S Markelle Martin
On the magnitude of the game with the possibility of going to a BCS bowl
"I think it's real big because not only the rivalry, but because so much is on the line with this game with the Fiesta Bowl and Coach Gundy with pride with him and his brother and OSU as a school. It's just a big game for us."

On the role reversal as Oklahoma tries to knock Oklahoma State out of a BCS bowl
"It's kind of flip-flopped there. We understand the importance of it and I'm sure they do too, so they're going to try to put us down and try to come out with the win. We're going to do the best we can to not let that happen."

On how having nine days between games will help
"Just the preparation and getting back mentally and being ready to fight out there and ready to go hard. We know it's going to be a real physical game so a couple days of rest will pay off for us, but we know we've got to go back to work."

 

Notes provided by Gavin Lang, Oklahoma State Media Relations

okstate.com

Taylor Potts threw for 388 yards and two touchdowns as Texas Tech beat Oklahoma 41-13 on Saturday for its most lopsided win ever over the Sooners.
 
Baron Batch ran for 136 yards and two scores for the Red Raiders (7-4, 4-3 Big 12), who became bowl eligible for the 16th straight season.
 
Oklahoma (6-5, 4-3) has its most losses since going 7-5 in 1999. It was just the fifth victory in 17 meetings for Texas Tech against the Sooners, and the Red Raiders had never won by more than 10 points in the series.
 
The margin was a stunning reversal from last season, when the Sooners crushed Texas Tech 65-21 to end the Red Raiders ' national championship hopes. Oklahoma hadn't lost this badly since falling to Texas 45-12 in 2005.
 
Texas Tech's Alex Torres had his best game of the season with 11 catches for 163 yards.
 
The victory was No. 83 for Mike Leach, surpassing predecessor Spike Dykes as the winningest coach at Texas Tech.
 
The Sooners' pass defense came in at No. 18 in the nation (178 yards per game) but couldn't hold back Texas Tech's passing offense, ranked second in the country.
 
Brandon Sharpe helped keep the Oklahoma offense out of rhythm. He entered the game second in the nation in sacks and added 2 1/2 more Saturday.
 
Landry Jones was 18 of 35 for 262 yards for the Sooners.
 
With Texas Tech comfortably ahead at the start of the fourth quarter, Red Raiders fans and players began to hop up and down to House of Pain's ''Jump Around,'' reciprocating what Sooners fans did at Memorial Stadium during last November's rout of the Red Raiders.
 
That loss ended Tech's unbeaten season and kept the Sooners ahead of Texas in the BCS standings, which helped send OU to play for the national championship against Florida.

LATEST SOONER HEADLINES
View the latest headlines from OU beat writers, Texas Tech and national sources after Tech beats the Sooners, 41-13, in Lubbock. Next up is the Bedlam Game on Saturday for OU at Owen Field:

Boomer Bytes | Sooner Gameday Central: OU vs. OSU

 

Ranked No. 17 in the AP and ESPN/USA Today polls, Oklahoma (2-0) plays its first road game of the year when it faces VCU (1-1) in Richmond, Va., Saturday at 6:30 p.m. CST.  The contest, to be played at the Stuart C. Siegel Center, will air on the Sooner Radio Network (KOKC AM 1520 in OKC; KMOD FM 97.5 in Tulsa) with Bob Carpenter and Mike Houck announcing.  An MASN television production, the game will air the Sooner Sports Network (KAUT Ch. 43 and Cox Cable 7 in OKC; Cox Cable 3 in Tulsa) and on DirecTV (640) and Dish Network (432) with Dave Weekley and Brooks Berry calling the action.

VCU'S Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2009-10 Stats / Notes
F	1	Larry Sanders	6-11	235	Jr.	9.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg
F	42	T.J. Gwynn	6-4	205	Sr.	7.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg
G	0	Jay Gavin	6-2	220	So.	11.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 50.0 3FG%
G	12	Joey Rodriguez	5-10	175	Jr.	10.5 ppg, 2.5 apg, 5.0 spg
G	20	Bradford Burgess	6-5	215	So.	13.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 50.0 3FG%

Oklahoma's Projected Starters
Pos.	No.	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Year	2008-09 Stats / Notes
F	1	Ryan Wright	6-9	241	Sr.	5.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg
F	24	Tiny Gallon	6-9	290	Fr.	10.5 ppg, 12.5 rpg
G	5	Tony Crocker	6-6	209	Sr.	8.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg
G	11	Tommy Mason-Griffin	5-11	203	Fr.	10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 4.5 apg
G	13	Willie Warren	6-4	203	So.	19.5 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 7.5 apg

NOTEWORTHY
• Sophomore guard Willie Warren is averaging team highs of 19.5 points and 7.5 assists through two games.  He has scored 21 points from the field and 18 from the free throw line (averaging 10.5 free throw attempts).
• Freshman forward Tiny Gallon is averaging a double-double (10.5 points and 12.5 rebounds).  His 15 boards in the season opener were the most in an OU freshman debut since Alvan Adams grabbed 28 caroms in the 1972-73 opener.
• Freshman guard Steven Pledger has come off the bench to average 14.5 points in 17.5 minutes a contest.  He is 10-for-14 from the field (.714) and 6-for-10 from long distance (.600). The Chesapeake, Va., product netted 21 points in 19 minutes in OU's opener against Mount St. Mary's (4-for-5 from deep).
• The Sooners have made 33 more free throws than their opponents on the young season.  OU is 49-for-57 (.860) from the foul line while foes are 16-for-23 (.696).
• Guards have accounted for 122 of Oklahoma's 167 points (73 percent).
• The freshman foursome of Pledger (29), Gallon (21), Tommy Mason-Griffin (20) and Andrew Fitzgerald (14) have scored more than half of OU's points (84 of 167).
• Oklahoma is the first ranked opponent to play at VCU since Jan. 23, 1993 (25th-ranked Long Beach State) and the first at the Stuart C. Siegel Center (opened in 1999).
• OU moved to 2-1 all-time against VCU after last year's 81-70 win in Oklahoma City.  The Rams won the only matchup in Richmond, however, 98-82 in 1993-94.

 

Oklahoma football vs Texas Tech

Oklahoma plays its final road game of the 2009 regular season when the Sooners travel to Lubbock to take on Texas Tech Saturday at 11:30 a.m. OU is coming off an impressive 65-10 victory over Texas A&M, while the Red Raiders will be trying to bounce back from a 24-17 loss at Oklahoma State.
 
Visit Sooner Gameday Central to view complete information for fans attending the game in Lubbock plus TV, radio and internet options for fans following the Sooners across the nation.
 
SoonerSports.com brings fans the Sooner Gameday Blog live from Lubbock on Saturday. The feature provides instantaneous reaction from the field as the game unfolds including observations from our staff, notes from the media relations staff in the press box and fan emails during the game.
 
The Series
Oklahoma leads the series with Texas Tech, 12-4, including a 4-3 advantage at Lubbock. The Red Raiders have won the last two meetings on their field. Last season, No. 5 OU posted a 65-21 win over No. 2 Tech in Norman. The losing team in this series has not scored less than 21 points in any of the last four games.
 

Sooner Gameday Central: OU at Texas Tech | Scouting Report | Latest Headlines | Football Notebook  OU, Tech & Big 12 Game Notes | OU Depth Chart | 2009 OU Football Guide

 
The Coaches
• Bob Stoops (Iowa '83) is 115-28 in his 11th season at Oklahoma. He is 77-16 vs. the Big 12, 41-11 vs. the Big 12 South, 35-5 vs. the Big 12 North, 6-1 in the Big 12 title game, 39-12 vs. non-conference opponents, 65-2 at home, 33-13 on the road, 17-13 on neutral fields, 34-15 vs. ranked opponents, 4-6 in bowls. He is 7-3 vs. Texas Tech.
• Mike Leach (BYU '83) is 76-43 in his 10th season at Texas A&M . He is 2-7 against Oklahoma.
 
The Program
• Oklahoma's all-time record stands at 797-301-53 in 115 seasons. Since WWII, OU leads the nation with 553 victories.
• The Sooners have captured seven national championships (1950, 1955, 1956, 1974, 1975, 1985, 2000).
• OU has 42 bowl appearances (No. 7 nationally) with 24 bowl victories (No. 4 nationally).
• Oklahoma has 42 conference championships, including the last three Big 12 Conference crowns and six Big 12 titles overall (no other league member has more than two)
• OU has produced 148 All-Americans and five Heisman Trophy winners. Sooners have also won the Bednarik (1), Butkus (4), Walter Camp (4), Lombardi (3), Maxwell (2), Nagurski (2), O'Brien (3), (Outland (5), Tatupu (1), Thorpe (3) and Unitas (1) Awards.
• With 31, 10-win seasons, OU leads the nation in total number of years in which the team achieved double-digit victories.
• This is Oklahoma's best decade for total victories. In the 2000s, OU is 108-23 while the Sooners were 102-13-3 in the 1970s.
Oklahoma Football History & Tradition
 
Ties With This Week's Opponent
• Texas Tech Head Coach Mike Leach was Oklahoma's offensive coordinator in 1999, Bob Stoops' first year in Norman.
• Red Raiders Defensive Ends Coach Charlie Sadler was at OU as an offensive line assistant in 1978, then was back in Norman from 1984-90 as the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach.
 
Big 12, Big Familiarity
When Oklahoma Head Coach Bob Stoops looks across the field in the Big 12 Conference, it often means looking at a former co-worker:
• Kansas - Mark Mangino was an OU asst., 1999-2001
• Kansas St. - Stoops assisted under Bill Snyder, 1989-95
• Nebraska - Bo Pelini was OU's co-def. coor., in 2004
• Texas Tech - Mike Leach was OU's off. coor., in 1999
 
Two other former Stoops assistants also are head coaches in Arizona's Mike Stoops, his brother, and Houston's Kevin Sumlin, but the OU mentor is yet to coach against either one.
 
Oklahoma's Big 12 Dominance
• OU's all-time Big 12 regular season record is 79-31. That mark jumps to 85-32 if counting title games. Bob Stoops is 71-15 in the regular season, 77-16 counting all. Before he arrived, OU's Big 12 record stood at 8-16.
• The Sooners have won the last three conference titles. No other program has won even back-to-back crowns.
 
Oklahoma's Most Recent Game | OU 65, Texas A&M 10
Recap | Stats | Notes | Quotes | Archived Blog |  Photos |  Highlights
• Oklahoma scored four touchdowns after A&M turnovers, including a 52-yard fumble return by CB Brian Jackson for OU's first score.
• RB DeMarco Murray had 223 all purpose yards and two touchdowns. He tied a 47-year-old OU record for receiving yards by a running back with 143 on just five grabs. He scored on receptions of 36 and 67 yards.
• WR Ryan Broyles also scored a pair of TDs with a 25-yard rush and a 5-yard reception.
• Landry Jones completed 24-of-39 passes for 392 yards with five TDs and one interception. The TD figure would have tied the school record if not for his own record-setting six-TD performance vs. Tulsa earlier this year.
• OU rolled up 640 yards of total offense, 392 through the air and 248 on the ground.
• The Sooners' leading rusher was third-strong back Jermie Calhoun. The redshirt freshman finished with 94 yards on 18 carries despite not entering the game until the 3:00 mark of the third quarter.
• OU' s defense stymied A&M, allowing just 167 yards through the air and 59 on the ground. Jarrod Johnson was 12-of-33 with one interception and one TD.
• A&M's lone touchdown came after an interception set up the Aggies first-and-goal from the Oklahoma one.
• Vaunted A&M pass rusher Von Miller, who entered the game as the nation's leader in sacks, credited with one assisted tackle in the game and no sacks.
• Oklahoma used three different placekickers in the game, including Patrick O'Hara, a walk-on transfer, who made two extra points and a 26-yard field goal while playing in his first college game.
 

 

 

On Saturday, November 21, the University of Oklahoma football team will take the field wearing the Nike Pro Combat uniform, a new system of dress and the lightest football uniform Nike has ever created.
 
Nike designers immersed themselves in Sooner history and lore to bring inspirational cues to the look and direction of the Nike Pro Combat uniforms.
 
The uniforms respect the past of Oklahoma football, drawing inspiration from Bud Wilkinson's famed "fast break offense" that led the nation in scoring and won National Championships in 1955 and 1956. An all-white helmet is a nod to the teams that played during that era (1946 to 1956), as are the clean lines on the jersey and pants.
 
Oklahoma's team mantra "Sooner Magic" is printed on the inside of the jersey collar and on the cuff of the Nike Vapor Trail 2.0 gloves the Sooners will wear.
 
"We greatly value and appreciate a wonderful partnership with Nike," said OU Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Programs & Director of Athletics Joe Castiglione. "Several of the partner schools have been sought out to utilize new technology developed by Nike. We are flattered to be part of this program and excited that our student-athletes will be among the first to experience the improvements that have been made.
 
"In 2003, we had one of, if not the first throw-back uniform games among college football programs. We view this similarly and wanted to salute our past on a day when Nike outfits us in some of its newest product. In future seasons, we will continue to wear the state-of-the-art equipment Nike is providing to us, but will return to the same, traditional uniform style that we have worn for many years."
 

OU's Nike Pro Combat Uniform |  Video from Nike.com |  Pro Combat: Nike's Latest Technology

 
OU will be one of 11 elite football programs to debut the Nike Pro Combat uniform this month before they are officially introduced at the start of the 2010 season. Oklahoma is joined by Clemson, Florida, Florida State, LSU, Miami, Virginia Tech, Missouri, Ohio State, Texas and TCU as the schools debuting the Nike Pro Combat uniform this month.
 
Nike designed the Pro Combat uniform to address the evolution of the game: today's players are stronger and faster and the collisions are more violent and explosive than ever before. Nike also worked with coaches and administrators at Oklahoma to bring inspiration to the Nike Pro Combat uniforms the Sooners will wear on November 21.
 
Official Nike Rivalry Products
As part of the Nike Pro Combat Rivalry program, the official OU Athletics Online Store has introduced a special line of merchandise for Sooner fans to show their support. Shop now for some of the latest items now in stock:

Official OU Nike Rivalry T-Shirt

Nike Replica Pro Combat Jersey

Official OU Nike Rivalry Hats

Superior Lightweight Innovation
The Nike Pro Combat uniform is 37 percent lighter than current designs (673 grams vs. 1,061 grams). Nike utilized a four-way stretch twill that does not hold sweat or water and as a result, the new uniforms are 46 percent lighter than the current designs when wet. Overall, the Nike Pro Combat uniform, when wet, is still lighter than the current Oklahoma design when completely dry.
 
Designed from the inside out, the Nike Pro Combat uniform begins with the Nike Pro Combat padded base layer. Strategically placed padding zones in the Nike Pro Combat Deflex shorts cover the thighs, hips, and tailbone. The padding zones are comprised of dual-density foam cells that absorb, deflect and disperse the impact of on-field collisions. A foam grid intersects the cells to maximize impact absorption and increase flexibility. A hard plastic shield covers the thigh padding where impact frequently occurs.
 
The Nike Pro Combat Deflex shorts are made with Nike Dri-FIT technical fabric to provide superior moisture wicking, helping to keep players dry and cool.
 
With the padding incorporated into the base layer, players gain greater mobility over traditional padding and the outer uniform becomes a lightweight, breathable shell with a sleek, explosive look.

"Players need their uniforms to be as light as possible so they can play the game at top speed," said Kris Aman, Global VP and General Manager for Nike Athletic Training which includes football. "The Nike Pro Combat uniform is a modern system of dress that is dramatically lighter while providing durability and protection."
 
Nike scrutinized every detail of the Nike Pro Combat uniform with the goal of shedding as much weight as possible, right down to the D-ring on the belt. Nike opted for a titanium D-ring, which is extremely durable and 66 percent lighter than the standard steel belt enclosure.
 
Engineered high-tenacity yarn inspired by Nike Flywire is incorporated into the high impact shoulder area. The belt loops have been padded to provide added protection to the hip area without the bulk of traditional hip pads.
 
The new uniforms also feature improved ventilation and breathability. Side ribbed-piping on the uniform pant has been replaced with sublimated Nike Dri-FIT mesh, which not only shaves grams off of the pant weight, but also aids evaporation in key areas. Nike Dri-FIT mesh wraps behind the knees, a key cooling zone on the body. By adding innovative evaporation and cooling zones, the player's body expends less energy regulating body temperature, leaving more energy for the game.
 
Completing this true system of dress for football is the new Nike Zoom Vapor Fly cleat, which Nike customized for Oklahoma featuring the Sooners team colors, team logo, and chrome-plated outsole. This incredibly lightweight cleat at just 10 ounces is available in 2010. It features Zoom Air cushioning in the heel and Flywire engineering in the medial and lateral quarter panels.
 

Five interceptions one week. Five touchdowns the next. Such is life as a freshman quarterback for Oklahoma's Landry Jones.

A week after Oklahoma failed to reach the end zone for the first time in Bob Stoops' 11 seasons as coach, the scores came in bunches for the Sooners - and particularly for Jones, who passed for a career-high 392 yards and five touchdowns as Oklahoma became bowl-eligible with a 65-10 rout of Texas A&M on Saturday night.

"You have to be sure of yourself," Stoops said. "I think the more he played, the more comfortable he got and he started making the throws we know he can make."

Jones completed 24 of 39 passes and deftly relied on his playmakers, as DeMarco Murray, Ryan Broyles, Chris Brown and Adron Tennell each scored two touchdowns for Oklahoma (6-4, 4-2 Big 12), which rolled up season highs in offense (640 yards) and points.

"He definitely knows he doesn't have to carry the whole offense," Broyles said of Jones. "We have guys that can make plays and that definitely gives him confidence."

The Sooners' oft-criticized offensive line, which lost two more starters to injury a week earlier in a 10-3 loss to Nebraska, again had its share of miscues, but it didn't allow a sack against an Aggie defense that entered the game third in the FBS in that category.

"We just came out and executed and played the way that we're capable of playing," Jones said. "Playing smarter in the red zone, not having the dumb penalties down there that keep us out of the end zone.

"It's just a confidence booster to have a game like this and have our offense with everyone on the same page."

Meanwhile, Texas A&M (5-5, 2-4) couldn't get out of its own way, losing three fumbles in the first half - two on kick returns - and watching Oklahoma cash in each of them for a touchdown. The Aggies, who entered the game leading the conference in total offense, managed only 226 yards against Oklahoma. Texas A&M quarterback Jerrod Johnson completed 12 of 33 passes for 115 yards and one touchdown and the Aggies managed only 59 rushing yards.

"We weren't very good today," Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman said. "We shot ourselves in the foot numerous times."

"They took advantage of the opportunities we gave them and then the opportunities that they created themselves."

Oklahoma has won seven straight against the Aggies. The Sooners also have won 29 straight home games, the longest active streak in the FBS.

Unranked for the first time since 2005, Oklahoma put 42 points on the scoreboard in the first half.

"We had a good week of practice and came out and executed well," Stoops said. "We didn't do anything different in practice. We didn't have a different week. We did everything the same we have done for 11 years here."

Oklahoma led 7-0 before its first offensive snap as Brian Jackson returned a fumble by Christine Michael 52 yards for a touchdown. The Sooners went up 14-0 on receiver Broyles' first career rushing touchdown, on a 25-yard reverse.

Michael Hodges intercepted a Jones pass and returned it 28 yards to the Oklahoma 6, setting up the Aggies' only touchdown, a 9-yard pass from Johnson to Jeff Fuller that made it 14-10. But special-teams problems allowed the Sooners to pull away.

Oklahoma's Keenan Clayton recovered a fumbled punt by Colt Valencia at the Texas A&M 22, and Jones subsequently hit Broyles on a 5-yard touchdown pass. Brown capped an 85-yard Oklahoma scoring drive with a 6-yard touchdown run to make it 28-10. After the Aggies went three-and-out, Murray's 36-yard catch-and-run touchdown put the Sooners ahead 35-10.

Cyrus Gray fumbled while returning the ensuing kickoff and Oklahoma's Ronnell Lewis recovered at the Aggies 25. Jones threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Tennell 54 seconds before halftime.

"I wish I knew why that was today," Sherman said of the Aggies' kicking-game woes. "Last week, Cyrus Gray returned a touchdown and we're all excited about that, and this week he has a tough time hanging onto the football. We fumbled one that we also recovered, too, so it wasn't a good day from that standpoint."

The Oklahoma Sooners have lost three more players for the season. Coach Bob Stoops said Tuesday that starting offensive lineman Jarvis Jones will miss the rest of the year with a fractured heel suffered during a 10-3 loss at Nebraska on Saturday. Jones is the fifth starter the Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) have lost for the season. Defensive end Auston English was scheduled to have surgery on an injured ankle tendon Tuesday, and team captain Brody Eldridge is out the rest of the year with a neck injury. Stoops had initially described it as a shoulder sprain. Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford and star tight end Jermaine Gresham had season-ending surgeries earlier this year.

When is enough bad luck enough? For Oklahoma football, they have to think they reached that plateau weeks ago, apparantly not. Head coach Bob Stoops met with the media Monday night following practice and announced that seniors Auston English and Brody Eldridge were out for the season due to injury...

Stoops Addresses Media After Practice Monday
Monday Post-Practice: OT Trent Williams
Monday Post-Practice: Coach Patton
Monday Post-Practice: QB Landry Jones
Monday Post-Practice: Coach Heupel
 
ENGLISH SELECTED FOR SHRINE GAME
Senior defensive end Auston English (Canadian, Texas) accepted an invitation to play in the 85th East-West Shrine Game, benefiting Shriners Hospitals for Children, on Jan. 23, 2010, in Orlando, Florida.

Auston English Selected for East-West Shrine Game
 
FOOD DRIVE FOR OU-A&M GAME
Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation will hold its ninth annual Food Drive this Saturday prior to the Oklahoma-Texas A&M football game. Volunteers will be located outside the gates of Gaylord Family - Oklahoma Memorial Stadium to accept cash donations.

Josh Heupel's 14 Foundation
 
FINAL GAME TIMES
As was previously announced, Oklahoma will play Texas A&M Saturday night at 6 p.m. on FOX Sports Net. Both of OU's final two games of the regular season (at Texas Tech on Nov. 21 and OSU in Norman on Nov. 28) will kick at 11:30 a.m. Both will air on FSN.

2009 Schedule & Results | Past Schedules & Results
 
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M
This week's contest will mark the 28th meeting all-time between Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The Sooners lead the series 17-10 overall and have won six straight, including a 66-28 victory in College Station last season.

Sooner Scouting Report: Texas A&M Aggies
 
LATEST SOONER HEADLINES
View the latest headlines from OU beat writers, Texas A&M and national sources as the Sooners prepare to host the Aggies at Owen Field in Norman Saturday night at 6 p.m. on FSN:

Latest Headlines: What's Next for Oklahoma?
 
OU DROPS OUT OF TOP 25
For the first time since the 2005 season, Oklahoma finds itself unranked in the Associated Press poll. Sunday marked the 1,000th AP poll since the service began in 1936. The Sooners have been ranked No. 1 more than any team in college football and own the most weeks in the Top 2, Top 5 and Top 10:

Oklahoma All-Time in the AP Poll | Latest AP Poll

The college football polls are getting interesting. The BCS rankings has a non BCS team in the top five and one just outside that. Oklahoma State is #19 and Oklahoma is out of the polls for the first time since 2005 and the bowls are waiting to see who they get and deciding who they want. Take a look at the AP and BCS polls below.

 

AP Top 25
No.	School	Record	Points	Prev
1	Florida (39)	9-0	1467	1
2	Texas (10)	9-0	1430	2
3	Alabama (11)	9-0	1422	3
4	TCU	9-0	1271	6
5	Cincinnati	9-0	1263	4
6	Boise State	9-0	1228	5
7	Georgia Tech	9-1	1127	10
8	Pittsburgh	8-1	945	14
9	LSU	7-2	904	9
10	Ohio State	8-2	898	15
11	Southern California	7-2	834	12
12	Miami (Fla.)	7-2	805	16
13	Houston	8-1	783	13
14	Oregon	7-2	752	7
15	Iowa	9-1	741	8
16	Utah	8-1	706	17
17	Oklahoma State	7-2	492	18
18	Arizona	6-2	476	21
19	Penn State	8-2	467	11
20	Virginia Tech	6-3	275	22
21	Wisconsin	7-2	274	24
22	Brigham Young	7-2	219	25
23	South Florida	6-2	167	26
24	Clemson	6-3	149	27
25	Stanford	6-3	107	0
Others Receiving Votes: Oregon State(6-3) 95; West Virginia(7-2) 54; Auburn(7-3) 54; Texas Tech(6-3) 24; Navy(7-3) 19; Tennessee(5-4) 12; Rutgers(6-2) 11; Nebraska(6-3) 9; Temple(7-2) 7; Kansas State(6-4) 5; Notre Dame(6-3) 3; Mississippi(6-3) 2; Fresno State(6-3) 2; Troy(7-2) 1

 

BCS Standings
BCS Rank	Team	BCS Average	Harris Rank	Harris Votes	Harris Pct	Coaches Rank	Coaches Votes	Coaches Pct	CPU Pct
1	Florida	0.984	1	2801	0.9828	1	1460	0.9898	0.98
2	Alabama	0.952	3	2688	0.9432	3	1389	0.9417	0.97
3	Texas	0.923	2	2712	0.9516	2	1399	0.9485	0.87
4	TCU	0.862	4	2424	0.8505	4	1262	0.8556	0.88
5	Cincinnati	0.858	5	2377	0.834	5	1224	0.8298	0.91
6	Boise State	0.813	6	2349	0.8242	6	1200	0.8136	0.8
7	Georgia Tech	0.755	7	2131	0.7477	7	1118	0.758	0.76
8	LSU	0.614	11	1634	0.5733	11	838	0.5681	0.7
9	Southern California	0.592	10	1660	0.5825	10	847	0.5742	0.62
10	Iowa	0.575	12	1540	0.5404	13	757	0.5132	0.67
11	Ohio State	0.573	8	1795	0.6298	8	944	0.64	0.45
12	Pittsburgh	0.563	9	1713	0.6011	9	940	0.6373	0.45
13	Oregon	0.532	14	1381	0.4846	16	665	0.4508	0.66
14	Miami (Fla.)	0.471	15	1366	0.4793	15	685	0.4644	0.47
15	Houston	0.469	13	1476	0.5179	12	766	0.5193	0.37
16	Utah	0.4	16	1352	0.4744	14	688	0.4664	0.26
17	Arizona	0.336	19	880	0.3088	19	472	0.32	0.38
18	Penn State	0.335	17	1057	0.3709	17	552	0.3742	0.26
19	Oklahoma State	0.291	18	979	0.3435	18	530	0.3593	0.17
20	Wisconsin	0.233	20	567	0.1989	20	341	0.2312	0.27
21	Virginia Tech	0.233	21	478	0.1677	21	268	0.1817	0.35
22	Brigham Young	0.124	22	468	0.1642	22	216	0.1464	0.06
23	Oregon State	0.123	28	94	0.033	28	39	0.0264	0.31
24	South Florida	0.108	23	266	0.0933	24	106	0.0719	0.16
25	West Virginia	0.065	24	182	0.0639	23	121	0.082	0.05

BCS Explained:

To derive a team's poll percentages in the Harris Interactive and the USA Today polls, each team's point total is divided by a maximum 2825 possible points in the Harris Interactive Poll and 1525 possible points in the USA Today poll.

Six computer rankings calculated in inverse points order (25 for #1, 24 for #2, etc.) are used to determine the overall computer component. The best and worst ranking for each team is dropped, and the remaining four are added and divided by 100 (the maximum possible points) to produce a Computer Rankings Percentage. The six computer ranking providers are Anderson & Hester, Richard Billingsley, Colley Matrix, Kenneth Massey, Jeff Sagarin, and Peter Wolfe. Each computer ranking accounts for schedule strength in its formula.

The BCS Average is calculated by averaging the percent totals of the Harris Interactive and USA Today polls, and computer rankings.

 Matt O'Hanlon had three of Nebraska's five interceptions against Landry Jones and the Cornhuskers squeezed enough production out of their struggling offense to upset No. 20 Oklahoma 10-3 on Saturday night.

The Sooners (5-4, 3-2 Big 12) failed to score a touchdown for the first time since a 29-0 loss to Texas A&M in 1998.

The Cornhuskers (6-3, 3-2) won despite getting just seven first downs and 180 total yards. They were able to get a yard when they really needed it, after Prince Amukamara returned an interception to the OU 1 in the second quarter. Zac Lee threw a short pass to Ryan Hill for Nebraska's fourth offensive TD in four games.

Oklahoma's last two possessions ended on interceptions, including O'Hanlon's third, which he grabbed at the Nebraska 7 with 27 seconds left.

O'Hanlon ran back his first interception 30 yards to set up Alex Henery's 28-yard field goal.

Roy Helu Jr. ran for 138 yards on 20 carries for Nebraska, which won for the first time in five meetings against Oklahoma since 2001.

After Lee took a knee to end the game, Helu and a band of teammates dashed to the end zone stands to do their own version of the "Lambeau Leap" to celebrate with fans.

The Cornhuskers moved to within a half-game of first-place Kansas State in the Big 12 North race.

The defenses controlled the game as expected.

Jones, who completed his last 14 passes against Kansas State a week earlier, missed on 10 of his first 12 and finished 26 of 58 for 245 yards. Ryan Broyles caught eight balls for 74 yards.

Oklahoma turned the ball over on downs three times inside the Nebraska 25. Twice the Sooners were unable to convert fourth-and-1s at the 20, including one messed up by a false-start penalty on left tackle Trent Williams.

O'Hanlon dropped what looked to be a sure interception on the play before he picked off Jones to finish off the Sooners. O'Hanlon flung the ball into the air, drawing an excessive celebration penalty, and then the Huskers ran out the last few seconds.

Nebraska led 7-3 at half and had made only one first down.

Quarterback Cody Green, who made his first start in last week's 20-10 win at Baylor, led the Huskers' first five possessions. With the freshman in charge, the Huskers generated no first downs and 19 total yards.

Lee replaced Green after Amukamara's interception and connected with Hill for the touchdown on his first pass.

Nebraska was in position to add to the lead after Helu broke a 63-yard run to the OU 11. Two plays later, Lee's option pitch to Helu was too high, and Gerald McCoy recovered for the Sooners.

Oklahoma missed out on three scoring chances before Tress Way kicked a 28-yard field goal with 24 seconds left the half.

Way missed from 46 yards and had his 45-yard attempt blocked by Ndamukong Suh, and Nebraska came up with a big stop when nickel back Eric Hagg stuffed DeMarco Murray for a 2-yard loss on fourth-and-1 from the Huskers 20.

Henery had his streak of 25 straight field goals made inside 50 yards end when he missed from 43 yards in the fourth quarter.

The Big 12 Conference has announced that this Saturday's Oklahoma-Nebraska game will start at 7 p.m. CST and be televised by ABC. Game times and television information for Nebraska's games against Kansas (Nov. 14) and Kansas State (Nov. 21) will be announced six to 12 days in advance.

Oklahoma's Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Sam Bradford had surgery on his injured right shoulder Wednesday and the school called it a success. In a release sent out by the school, Bradford's father says Dr. James Andrews informed him that the procedure went ``just as we expected.'' Kent Bradford said his son was experiencing some soreness, but
was otherwise resting comfortably in Alabama after a 35-minute surgery. The quarterback, who had sprained the AC joint in his shoulder, was expected to return to Oklahoma within the next day or two. Bradford has said he plans to enter the NFL draft if his recovery goes as planned. That process is expected to take four to six months.

Sam Bradford made it official Monday, stepping to a podium and announcing the end of his career at Oklahoma. Head coach Bob Stoops and several players were on hand to support Bradford as he talked about his injury, his recovery, and his love of the Sooners. Take a look at the video below as one of the most loved Oklahoma players in years says his goodbyes.

 

 

We all wanted the best for Sam Bradford but it's been a trying season for the Heisman Trophy Winner. After looking into all options, Bradford announced Sunday that he will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery.  Dr. James Andrews will perform the operation Wednesday in Birmingham, Ala.

"I dreamed about coming to Oklahoma my whole life," Bradford said. "That's the reason I came back for this season. And I came back to play, not sit on the bench. That's the reason I tried to play after the injury. I'm very disappointed that it didn't work out differently.

"Under these circumstances, and after talking to several people, this is the right thing for me to do at this point."

Bradford added that he intends to enter the NFL Draft if the recovery goes as anticipated. The rehabilitation time for the surgery is estimated at four-six months.

"I'll be up to the challenge," said Bradford, who will work with OU's training staff during his rehabilitation.

OU Head Coach Bob Stoops said he supports Bradford's decision.

"We want Sam to pursue the best option for his recovery and future," he said. "We obviously feel this is best for his long-range future.

"Sam has led us to two Big 12 championships and an appearance in the national title game, and has demonstrated uncommon leadership skills. He is an absolute role model as a student-athlete and loyal teammate.

"We appreciate the incredible contributions he has made to this program and university."

The 2008 Heisman Trophy winner suffered a sprained AC joint in his right shoulder late in the second quarter of OU's season opener against BYU and missed the remainder of that game. He sat out the Tulsa and Idaho State games before coming back to lead the Sooners to a 33-7 win over Baylor.

The following week, Bradford reinjured the shoulder on Oklahoma's second offensive series against Texas. He missed the remainder of that game and was in street clothes for last Saturday's 35-13 win at Kansas.

Bradford, who led the nation in pass efficiency rating in each of the last two seasons, owns 15 school records at Oklahoma. Among those marks are the career passing mark of 8,403 yards and the career touchdown passes figure of 88.

Landry Jones has replaced Bradford. Jones is 119-of-192 for 1,363 yards with 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. Last Saturday at Kansas, he was 26-of-38 for 252 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.

Oklahoma, 4-3, returns to action Saturday when it hosts Kansas State in a 6 p.m., kickoff at Norman.

Sam Bradford is a young man who must wonder why his luck has been all bad lately. After making the decision to come back to OU and try to take his team to a national title, he get's hurt in a game one loss to BYU. Then, after being cleared to play again, he re-injured the shoulder in the tough loss to Texas. Now Sam Bradford has another decision to make and it could come today.

Bradford called off a Wednesday news conference at which he planned to discuss his future. Sooners coach Bob Stoops said Bradford needed time to gather more information before making a decision.

If Bradford does choose surgery, he will be faced with a difficult decision when it comes time to declare for the NFL draft. Bradford was expected to be among the top picks last April after throwing for 50 touchdowns and winning the Heisman Trophy.

His position with NFL teams would be uncertain after less than seven quarters of game action and the possibility he could not throw in time for the combine in February and how much he could work out before the April draft. A drop of several positions would mean the loss of several million dollars.

Bradford could also return to Oklahoma for his senior year with the hope of leading the Sooners to a national championship and rebuilding his draft stock behind what should be an improved offense with more experience on the offensive line and wide receiver.

Sam Bradford is a man in limbo. Bradford reinjured his right shoulder in the loss to Texas and will miss this weeks game at Kansas. The big question is, will Bradford play for Oklahoma again?? Bob Stoops had an opinion on that question, "I think the fair thing to say is right now, he's not going to play this week," OU coach Bob Stoops said Monday night. "I just assumed everyone understood that. From there, the path hasn't been determined."

The coach said any announcement about Bradford's diagnosis won't be made until Wednesday at the earliest. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones will make his fourth start of the season against Jayhawks.

Stoops said Bradford would be visiting with doctors and his family over the next few days, and he didn't expect to have an update on Bradford until at least Wednesday or Thursday.

Bradford said prior to the Baylor the game there was still the possibility his right shoulder would require surgery to fully heal. If it did, he was willing to put it off until the end of the season in order to play this season.

Bradford was projected as a high first-round pick had he made himself eligible for the NFL draft following last season. Instead he returned to OU for his junior year.

Obviously, a serious shoulder injury could have an effect on Bradford's draft status if he decided to turn pro after this season. Bradford said after the Texas game he wouldn't make any decisions on when to end his college career until the season was over.

Bradford didn't speak with reporters Monday.

Stoops said MRIs on Sunday didn't reveal any new damage to Bradford's shoulder. He simply aggravated the old injury when Texas cornerback Aaron Williams sacked him early in the first quarter.

No matter what Bradford decides, Stoops said the decision is up to Bradford about whether he plays again. The quarterback's future should be the overriding factor in the decision.

"He understands that I'm for him, and he's been told that," Stoops said. "I'm for whatever he feels. We're behind him 100 percent, whatever he feels is best for him. But he's the guy that can answer that."

Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford's season, and perhaps even his career, at Oklahoma may be finished after he re-injured his throwing shoulder. Still, coach Bob Stoops says ``it's a little early'' to give up on a season that's seen the Sooners' goals of a national title and perhaps even a Big 12 championship vanish. Stoops says the Sooners haven't been far off, losing three games against ranked teams by a combined five points despite being without Bradford and second-team All-America tight end Jermaine Gresham most of the time. Bradford was hurt again Saturday in Oklahoma's 16-13 loss to No. 3 Texas in Dallas. Stoops says it'll likely be at least Thursday before the team has an update on his status.

 

Oklahoma needed two things on Saturday. To protect their quarterback and to stop the Texas offense. One oit of two isn't bad, but it wasn't enough at the Cotton Bowl this Saturday.  The Longhorns knocked off rival Oklahoma on Saturday because of their defense.

Aaron Williams knocked out Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford on a first-quarter sack, then he and Earl Thomas picked off backup Landry Jones in the fourth quarter to send No. 3 Texas to a 16-13 victory Saturday over the No. 20 Sooners.

The 104th edition of this series was one of the ugliest, with the teams combining for eight turnovers and only a single touchdown from each of their supposedly high-scoring offenses.

But for McCoy and the Longhorns (6-0, 3-0 Big 12), all that matters is the W. It's their fourth in five years against the Sooners and it keeps alive their hopes of winning the national championship. They'll have to be a lot crisper than this to win at Missouri and at Oklahoma State the next two weeks.

Oklahoma (3-3, 1-1) lost this game last year yet still managed to win the conference and play for the national championship. That won't happen this year.

Bradford was certain to cash in as one of the top picks in the last NFL draft, but opted to return for his junior season. Playing behind an inexperienced line, he sprained his throwing shoulder in the opener, took a month off and returned last week against Baylor. He looked good and started this game strong, then Williams dragged him down right onto the bum shoulder and he stayed down in a heap. He watched the rest of the game from the sideline, changing into a T-shirt at halftime.

Jones was 24 of 43 for 250 yards, with the interceptions ending his final two drives. The series before that ended with a fourth-and-1 try that was stopped at midfield.

The Sooners simply couldn't run against Texas. Oklahoma finished a minus-16 on 22 running plays.

Yet the Longhorns couldn't shake the Sooners.

McCoy came in needing a big game to boost his Heisman Trophy chances, but he was only 21 of 39 for 127 yards. He threw an interception inside the 10-yard line midway through the fourth quarter (between the two pickoffs by his secondary) and fumbled inside the 10 line late in the first half.

His best drive of the game might've been his last one. The Longhorns didn't get any points out of it, but they managed to kill the final 3:31. When it was obvious that time was going to run out, McCoy turned to the orange-clad end of the stadium and gave a giant fist pump.

McCoy beat the Sooners for the third time in his four years, putting him in an elite group. He also guaranteed that Texas will be near the top of the BCS standings when they come out this week -- even if they'll no longer be atop the nation in scoring. The Longhorns had been first at 47.2 points per game.

Texas' lone touchdown came midway through the third quarter, when Marquise Goodwin shook off a tackle and walked in for a 14-yarder. The Sooners came back with their only touchdown, a 35-yarder to Ryan Broyles, but the Longhorns went ahead for good on a 32-yard field goal by Hunter Lawrence early in the fourth quarter.

Lawrence also made a pair of 42-yarders.

Oklahoma's other scoring came on kicks of 26 and 37 yards by Jimmy Stevens. He also missed a 45-yarder.

Chris Brown led the Sooners with only 23 yards rushing on 12 carries. DeMarco Murray lost three yards, Jones lost four, Bradford lost 13 and Cameron Kenney lost 19.

Murray had 116 yards receiving, 64 coming on one play on the opening drive. He got OU to the 9, but the Sooners settled for a short field goal.

McCoy was sacked and fumbled on Texas' first drive, then Bradford got hurt on the very next snap. Jones got the Sooners in position for a 37-yard field goal on his first full series -- and that was it for the Oklahoma offense in the first half. The closest it came to scoring was a 45-yard field goal that went wide right.

McCoy and the Longhorns never got going.

He took a 15-yard sack on a third down from the Oklahoma 35, taking them way out of field-goal range, and had several throws nearly intercepted, a couple of which might've been returned for touchdowns. Texas was 0 for 7 on third downs until shortly before halftime.

But the biggest blown opportunity was all of OU's fumbles.

A muffed punt -- which one official ruled a Texas touchdown before a long review -- gave the Longhorns first down from 18. They went backwards six yards before kicking a 42-yard field goal.

The Longhorns got the ball right back when the Sooners coughed up the ensuing kickoff. Then McCoy broke off a long run, only to get stripped while fighting for another yard. The Sooners fumbled again, recovering inside the 1-yard line. They were able to punt and Texas couldn't do anything with it before time ran out.

Oklahoma State senior offensive lineman Russell Okung and Oklahoma senior defensive tackle Gerald McCoy have been named semifinalists for the Rotary Lombardi Award, which is presented annually to the nation's lineman of the year by the Rotary Club of Houston.

 

The award will be officially presented on Dec. 9. The winner is selected by a panel of football coaches, sports media and former winners and finalists. Overall, approximately 500 people are involved in the selection process. The list of semifinalists was trimmed from the original watch list of 153 players.

 

Okung is considered one of America's top offensive linemen. He was a first-team all-Big 12 selection as a junior and is the ringleader of a Cowboy offensive line that ranks fourth nationally in fewest sacks allowed in 2009. OSU has led the Big 12 Conference in rushing all three seasons in which Okung has been a starter.

 

The Houston native and graduate of Bush High School has started 39 straight games heading into this weekend's matchup with Missouri. He became a starter in the OSU offensive line a true freshman in 2006.

 

Twice in his career, Okung, who is closing in on a degree in marketing, has shut down America's top pass rusher. In the 2007 Insight Bowl, Indiana's Greg Middleton entered the game leading the nation in quarterback sacks. He did not record a tackle in OSU's win over the Hoosiers.

 

Texas A&M's Von Miller led the nation in quarterback sacks entering last weekend. Against Okung and the Cowboys, he did not record a sack in OSU's 36-31 win in College Station.

 

In alphabetical order, the 12 semifinalists are:

Terrence Cody, Alabama, NG

Rennie Curran, Georgia, LB

Carlos Dunlap, Florida, DE

Jerry Hughes, TCU, DE

Rolando McClain, Alabama, LB

Gerald McCoy, Oklahoma, DT

Eric Norwood, South Carolina, LB

Russell Okung, Oklahoma State, LT

George Selvie, South Florida, DE

Brandon Spikes, Florida, LB

Ndamukong Suh, Nebraska, DT

Sean Weatherspoon, Missouri, LB

 

Dallas seeks to avoid a repeat of parking problems as fans converge on Fair Park for Saturday's Texas-Oklahoma football game. Last year dozens of fans, after the game at the Cotton Bowl, discovered their vehicles had been towed from private lots that they thought were legitimate. Some people falsely posed as parking attendants, accepted payments, then disappeared. More than 40 vehicles were towed. The Dallas Morning News reports the city this year requires private parking lots around Fair Park to buy permits and display
city-issued signs. Dallas parking and transportation staffers will be spot checking the Fair Park. Towing companies also are receiving a letter from the city advising of the new procedures. A non-parking option is Dallas Area Rapid Transit's green rail line, which recently began serving Fair Park.
    

On the Net: www.dart.org,  www.bigtex.com
Information from: The Dallas Morning News,   http://www.dallasnews.com

Starting left guard Brian Simmons will miss No. 20 Oklahoma's game against third-ranked Texas this Saturday with a right knee injury. Simmons left in the third quarter of the Sooners' 33-7 victory over Baylor last week, hopping toward the sideline before trainers met him and helped him the rest of the way off the field. Stoops refused to say how long Simmons will be out. However, Stoops says Ryan Broyles, the Sooners' leading receiver, returned to practice and ``there's a chance he could play'' Saturday in Dallas. Broyles missed last week's game because of a hairline fracture in his left shoulder blade the previous week in the Sooners' 21-20
loss at Miami. He had been expected to miss 2-to-4 weeks.

It was a slower than expected healing process but the decision is in and Sam Bradford will start at quarterback for Oklahoma in the Sooners' game against Baylor, Saturday.
 
The junior has been out since the season opener (Sept. 5) when he suffered a sprained shoulder joint.
 
"Sam has had a great week of practice and is ready to play," said OU Head Coach Bob Stoops after a morning meeting with Bradford. "We're obviously excited to have him back.
 
"We remain very pleased with the work Landry Jones did in replacing Sam and our entire program has a lot of confidence in his ability," Stoops added.
 
No. 17 Oklahoma (2-2, 0-0 Big 12) and Baylor (3-1, 0-0 Big 12) face off at 2:30 p.m. (CT) on Owen Field. The matchup will be televised regionally by ABC. Fans should consult the network's coverage map to see if their local ABC affiliate will have the OU game.
 
A limited number of tickets are also available for this Saturday's Baylor football game. View this release for complete information. For complete coverage throughout the week and broadcast options for following the Sooners around the world, please visit Sooner Gameday Central. 
 

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops is waiting another day to make a decision on whether Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford will play against Baylor on Saturday. Stoops had said at the start of the week that he didn't plan to announce whether Bradford would play until Thursday. But Sooners spokesman Kenny Mossman said Thursday that Stoops had put off the
decision until Friday. Bradford has missed the past three games for No. 19 Oklahoma (2-2) with a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder. Redshirt freshman Landry Jones has started in place of Bradford, winning back-to-back shutouts against Idaho State and Tulsa before a 21-20 loss at Miami last week. Bradford has said he hoped to play this week to prepare for next
week's game against No. 2 Texas.

Sam Bradford may be back this week when the Sooners play Baylor. Or, he may still need surgery on his injured right shoulder. Needless to say, nothing has been decided yet on the most famous right shoulder in the state of Oklahoma. On Tuesday, Bradford actually answered questions from the media and you can watch the entire news conference below.

 

 

 Oklahoma receiver Ryan Broyles will be out for two to four weeks with a broken left shoulder blade, starting with this week's game against Baylor. Sooners coach Bob Stoops confirmed Monday that Broyles suffered the fracture during Saturday night's 21-20 loss at Miami.      Broyles leads the Sooners (2-2) with 23 catches for 346 yards and seven touchdowns this season. He had also been the team's top punt returner. Stoops also said Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford practiced again with the No. 19 Sooners on Monday, but he doesn't plan to
make a decision on whether the quarterback will play until Thursday. Stoops said he doesn't plan to answer questions about Bradford until then.

The guessing game is over. All week long the media, the fans, the other teams and even the players have wanted to know one thing. Will Sam Bradford start this week against Miami. The answer is in, and it's no.

Oklahoma Head Football Coach Bob Stoops said today that Landry Jones will be the starting quarterback when the No. 8-ranked Sooners play Saturday at No. 17 Miami.

The team also had practiced this week with Sam Bradford, who suffered a shoulder joint sprain in the season opener against BYU.

"Sam has made daily progress, but we don't feel like he's quite where he needs to be yet," Stoops said. "Our team has a lot of confidence in Landry's ability and we're looking forward to going into the game with him at quarterback. Our approach will be the same that it has been in the last two games"

Jones, a redshirt freshman, set a school record in his last outing when he threw six touchdown passes against Tulsa on Sept. 19. For the season, he is 49-of-81 for 673 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions.

Bradford, who won the Heisman Trophy last season, has been sidelined since incurring the injury on Sept. 5, in Arlington, Texas.

Oklahoma and Miami, both 2-1, will meet at 7 p.m., Saturday on ABC. View Sooner Gameday Central for complete information on the game.

Sam Bradford's status for Oklahoma's game against Miami is still a mystery. Sooners coach Bob Stoops skipped his usual post-practice interview session Wednesday, instead sending team spokesman Kenny Mossman to tell reporters there was no update on the quarterback's
status. The Heisman Trophy winner has missed No. 8 Oklahoma's last two games after spraining an AC joint in his right shoulder in the season-opening loss to BYU. Stoops has said Oklahoma would spend the week watching Bradford's recovery and determine whether he can play Saturday against the 17th-ranked Hurricanes, perhaps as late as game day. He has said Bradford has not had any setbacks in his recovery, but refused to give any details on what he has been able to do in practice.

Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops says Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford is progressing in his rehab from a sprained shoulder, but a decision on whether he'll play against No. 17 Miami won't be made until later in the week. Bradford has missed Oklahoma's last two games with a sprained AC joint in his right, throwing shoulder. Stoops said Monday that Bradford visited noted expert Dr. James Andrews in Alabama over the weekend to get an additional opinion on how his recovery is going. Stoops says he is not trying to be evasive about Bradford's status and will probably announce whether the Heisman winner will play when that decision is made. He doesn't expect it to be a game-time decision.

Week three in college football is upon us and there are some big games both in the area and nationally. Tulsa heads to Oklahoma while OSU hosts Rice and Arkansas has Georgia in Fayetteville. Florida and Tennessee is big and Texas looks for revenge against Texas Tech. Check most of the match-ups below.

 

• Tennessee  at  (1)   Florida (3:30 PM)        Preview

• Texas Tech  at  (2)   Texas (8:00 PM)        Preview

• (3)   USC  at  Washington (3:30 PM)          Preview

• N Texas  at  (4)   Alabama (12:21 PM)       Preview

• Temple  at  (5)   Penn St. (12:00 PM)        Preview

• SE Louisiana  at  (6)   Mississippi (7:30 PM)   Preview

• (t7)   California  at  Minnesota (12:00 PM)       Preview

• Louisiana-Lafayette  at  (t7)   LSU (7:00 PM)    Preview

• Florida St.  at  (9)   BYU (7:00 PM)                Preview

• (11)   Ohio St.  at  Toledo (12:00 PM)            Preview

• Tulsa  at  (12)   Oklahoma (3:30 PM)             Preview

• (18)   Nebraska  at  (14)   Virginia Tech (3:30 PM)     Preview

• Texas State  at  (15)   TCU (7:00 PM)   Preview

• (16)   Utah  at  Oregon (3:30 PM)   Preview

• Rice  at  (17)   Oklahoma St. (7:00 PM)   Preview

• East Carolina  at  (19)   North Carolina (12:00 PM)   Preview

• (20)   Georgia  at  Arkansas (7:45 PM)    Preview

• (21)   Cincinnati  at  (24)   Oregon St. (6:46 PM)    Preview

• Duke  at  (23)   Kansas (12:00 PM)    Preview

• Furman  at  (25)   Missouri (2:00 PM) 
• More NCAA games